In Focus

This section of culture360.org features articles and interviews around the 3 topics of cultural policy dialogue, cultural heritage management and good practices as well as festivals in Asia and Europe.

A journey of 4500 miles from Mongolia brought me to Malta for the 7th World Summit on Arts and Culture. There 380 delegates from 90 countries in Europe, the Pacific, North America, Asia, Africa and Latin America began five days of learning, sharing and more importantly reflecting on what it means to be a cultural leader in the context of Cultural Leadership in 21st Century, this year’s theme. The Summit presented a variety of perceptions on cultural leadership today and where they stand at a cross roads. Some of the opportunities and challenges that the speakers mentioned were universal while others were specific to a particular region, country or even local community. More

The 7th World Summit on Arts & Culture, titled At the Crossroads? Cultural Leadership in the 21st Century took place from 18-21 October 2016 in the historic city of Valletta, Malta bringing together over 380 delegates from 90 countries, including a substantial number from Europe and Asia. Four key messages may be extracted from the many conversations at the Summit: #1: Culture: Valuable in itself or subservient to socio-economic objectives? The debate continues; #2: New models of engagement urgently needed in a changing world; #3: Towards shared and collective leadership? #4: Funding: Making the dollars count. More

Exchange of national good practices in the creative industries and exploration of international collaboration opportunities were the focus of the 7th ASEM Culture Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM CMM7) that took place this June in Gwangju, Korea. More

This July, the International Conference on Cultural Policy Research (ICCPR) was organised – for the first time in its history – in Asia. Over 5 days, 300+ academics gathered at Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul for discussions on issues, trends and challenges related to cultural policies. More

In this conversation, Herman BASHIRON MENDOLICCHIO asked Nina OBULJEN to expand on the next World Summit topics and on different questions related to cultural cooperation, cultural leadership, networks and mobility. More

Voilah! is the signature French festival in Singapore and is held 15 April – 31 May 2016. This annual festival presents the best of French creativity and innovation in culture, science, education and gastronomy through diverse and engaging events all across the island. Among the highlights: May 5, 6 & 7 a symposium on Heritage and Sustainable Urbanism: […] More

ASEF culture360 interviews Heinrich Blömeke, Director of the Goethe Institute in Jakarta, to know more about this important and event and the collaborations that it has initiated between artists in the two countries.More

Cristina Farinha is a leading cultural professional based in Portugal with an outstanding international profile. Her work spans from research on cultural mobility –particularly concerning the performing arts sector and the internationalisation of artistic labour markets– to cultural policy making, creative cities and culture industries. More

Elvira MARCO tells ASEF culture360 collaborator Florent PETIT about the strategies developed in A/CE to set deeper ties between Spanish and Asian cultural sectors. Mrs MARCO also introduces the specificities of the Spanish art scene.More

The Curating Batik event in Jakarta marks the first of several activities being organised as part of a study of Batik collections in selected museums in Asia and Europe, towards the set-up of a permanent Batik gallery at the Weltmuseum Wien in Vienna, which is currently undergoing extensive renovation and will re-open in 2017. More

ASEF culture360 contributor Florent Petit tells us how the re-use of industrial heritages sites for cultural activities helps reinvigorate European cities and complete urban regeneration policies. Since the beginning of the seventies, the drastic decline that some entire branches of the European industry had to suffer (and are still suffering today) has, among many […] More

On 30-31 March 2015, the city of Athens hosted the first meeting of the SEAAA Mobility Platform. This international meeting aim was to discuss the creation of a common fund for the mobility of artists and cultural operators between the various regions involved. The leading partners of the project – Roberto Cimetta Fund, Korea Arts […] More

With the establishment of Films Division, India became one of the first countries along with the United Kingdom and the USA, to establish a documentary tradition. This was conducive to give rise to an anti-establishment documentary movement in India. Under the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Films Division was established in 1948 […] More

As part of the media partnership with Tropfest South East Asia, this month ASEF culture360 will publish a series of interviews with some of the filmmakers who participated in the short film competition. Somchanrith Chap won the third prize at this year’s short film competition. Over 20 years ago, John Polson started the Tropicana Short […] More

The path towards the opening of the huge ACC (Asian Culture Complex), located in the heart of the city of Gwangju, South Korea, is quickly approaching its culmination and the inaugural date of this new cultural complex is set for September 2015. More

Pushed, on one hand, by the need to extend cultural bridges and internationalise its collaborations and activities and, on the other hand, by the strong pressure to envisage and shape the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has organized – through its cultural arm, the TCCP, Tokyo Culture Creation Project – a very inspiring and stimulating Conference and International Visitors Programme. More

Florent Petit, ASEF culture360 contributor met with Ulla Ronberg, Senior Advisor for Cultural coordination in the headquarters of the Danish Agency for Culture in Copenhagen. Mrs Ronberg introduced the principles on which relies the International cultural cooperation from Denmark, with a special focus on recent projects developed in Asia. She also shared her views […] More

Last November 2013, an exceptional symposium entitled “Weaving royal traditions through time at the Thai Court and beyond” took place in Bangkok. For the occasion, a textile community of major experts has gathered to attend this event of importance organized by the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles and the Support Foundation More

Contributed by Ulla-Alexandra Mattl Christa Meindersma has been director of the Prince Claus Fund since 2011. She is an international lawyer with extensive experience in Asia, Africa and Europe and a passion for art and culture. Previously, Christa worked as deputy coordinator of the Task […] More

What does it mean to be human in the 21st century?
This was the powerful – albeit invisible – question that many speakers were responding to at the recently concluded 6th World Summit on Arts and Culture (13-16 January 2014, Santiago, Chile) More

Contributed by Shayan Shakeel In 2012, a little known filmmaker from Pakistan won the Academy Award for the Best Documentary Short and was instantly catapulted to national and international fame. Her film, Saving Face, talked about giving hope to acid attack victims. In a country where filmmaking suffered an untimely demise, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and her Oscar […] More

The European Commission would have stood tall at the Locarno Film Festival this August, when nine films supported by its much lauded MEDIA programme were screened at the prestigious International festival. This may not have been a new feeling for those on board the MEDIA programme, after all 13 of its films were screened at […] More

The most anticipated festival in South East Asia, Busan International Film Festival is drawing closer. Before the accreditation for the festival opens for this October event, it is time to give out some information and tips about this leading cinematic gala of the East. When and where does it take place? The 18th edition of […] More

On 5 and 6 June 2013 the city of Prague hosted the Platform meeting of Asian and European Cultural Mobility Funders, as part of the second edition of the Creative Encounters funded by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and its partners Arts Network Asia (ANA) and the European network Trans Europe Halles (TEH). This excellent initiative, organized by Art Theatre […] More